Solanaceae FAMILY

Physalis arenicola

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

0/5

Safety & Hazards

The unripe fruits and foliage of Physalis species contain solanine and other solanidine alkaloids and are toxic if ingested in large quantities. The ripe fruiys are usually edible, and several species are cultivated for these fruits[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].

Botanical Description

Physalis arenicola is an erect, sparsely-branched, herbaceous perennial plant with a rhizomatous rootstock. The rhizomes are deeply buried, though there are often also some slender, shallow rhizomes. The plant can grow 5 - 30cm tall[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeSouth-eastern N. America -Alabama, Florida.

HabitatPinelands, scrub, sandhills and cypress heads[ 72 Title Manual of the Southeastern Flora. Publication Author Small J.K. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher University of N. Carolina Press. Year 1933 ISBN Description Getting rather dated now, an immense work covering the flora of Southeastern N. America. No pictures, it is not for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. A coastal plant growing in sandy soil, pine-oak woods, hammocks, fields, pastures, roadsides; at elevations up to 90 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].